Triad Business Journal Names Cameron, Mercer Outstanding Women in Business for 2025

EAST GREENSBORO, N.C. (Feb. 25, 2025) – Triad Business Journal (TBJ) has named North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University leaders Kimberly Cameron and Ralisha Mercer to its 2025 class of 25 Outstanding Women in Business.

Cameron serves as executive director of the N.C. A&T Real Estate Foundation Inc., bringing more than 30 years of experience in real estate and construction management. A Milwaukee native, she was the first Black woman to earn a B.S. in construction administration from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and later obtained an MBA in finance from Concordia University Wisconsin. She has led multimillion-dollar projects throughout her career, including closing a historic $71 million real estate transaction for the N.C. A&T Real Estate Foundation.

A recognized industry leader, Cameron has received multiple honors, including the 2024 Metropolitan Business League Award and the 2022 University Police Department Partner Award. She is deeply engaged in economic development and community transformation, serving in leadership roles with organizations such as The Links Foundation, Inc.; the Greensboro Minority/Women Business Enterprise Advisory Committee; the Durham City-County Planning Commission; and Piedmont Triad CREW, where she is a past president. She is also an active leader with Girl Scouts of North Carolina.

Mercer, associate vice chancellor for development in the Division of University Advancement, is a distinguished leader in higher education fundraising with more than two decades of experience. A North Carolina native, she earned a B.A. in English with a concentration in speech pathology from Elizabeth City State University and an M.S. in professional counseling from Grand Canyon University.

Since joining A&T in 2015, Mercer has played a pivotal role in securing more than $300 million for the university, including the record-breaking $181.4 million Power of DO campaign — the largest fundraising effort in public historically Black college and university history.

A dedicated community servant, Mercer has served on multiple nonprofit boards and professional organizations, embodying the values of philanthropy and mentorship. Her board memberships include Boy Scouts of America, Girls Inc., Elizabeth City Vision 2020, The ECSU Foundation, ECSU Housing Foundation, and The Foundation for North Carolina A&T State University. She is also an active member of professional organizations such as the Association of Fundraising Professionals, National Council of Charitable Gift Planners, North Carolina Council of Charitable Gift Planners, Council for the Advancement and Support of Education, Network of Academic Corporate Relations Officers, and the African American Development Officers Network.

TBJ will celebrate the 2025 Outstanding Women in Business honorees at a business dinner Wednesday, April 23, at Cadillac Garage in Greensboro. The award winners will also be recognized online and in a special print edition Friday, April 25.